The inauguration of Turkmenistan’s President, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov heralds in a new era for the energy rich former Soviet republic that has elected the region’s first president in nearly two decades. The untimely death of former President Saparmurat Niyazov (Previous Report) in December 2006 shocked both Turkmenistan citizens and the outside world. Niyazov had ruled as an absolute dictator for almost two decades, first as the President of the newly independent state of Turkmenistan and then as President for life. Niyazov’s rule can be described as a dictatorship surrounded by a cult of personality. Although Turkmenistan boasts one of largest natural gas reserves in world, Niyazov ran many of the country’s institutions into the ground, with revenues generated via the state’s natural gas industry not reaching the general populace. Moreover, opposition to the government was not tolerated, driving many opposition leaders into exile. With Niyazov’s death, Turkmenistan citizens and the international community wondered if change could be possible in the near-term.
Holding “free” elections seemed to be the first step towards a more democratic state. Although there were several candidates, only one political party was permitted to run. Niyazov’s successor was a foregone conclusion before the election was even held. President-elect Berdymukhammedov claims to have won 90% of the vote, with voter turnout estimated at 99% – a highly unlikely number. No full-scale international monitoring of the elections took place, but observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have voice their criticism, saying the elections were neither fair nor free.
It appears that no regional state or international body is to concerned with unfair election results as evidenced by the lack of any full-scale international election monitoring and the subsequent attendance of high-level international figures at Berdymukhammedov’s inauguration.
Unsurprisingly, the Russian Prime Minister and a Chief Executive of Gazprom attended the inauguration ceremony. Neither the Russian government nor the newly elected Turkmenistan government wish to see the lucrative business relationship developed between the two states gas industries affected by a change in leadership.
United States Secretary of State Richard Boucher was also in attendance. It has been reported that US and European leaders are interested in developing a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan that will bypass Russia, eliminating the Russian government’s control of European gas supplies. Previously, Niyazov was unreceptive to this idea, however Berdymukhammedov could be interested in the project. Additionally, Turkmenistan’s borders with Afghanistan and Iran could be strategically important for the US war effort against the Taliban and any potential future military engagement with Iran.
Finally, Berdymukhammedov has pledged to both improve and reform the political climate and other problematic social and economic issues, while continuing Niyazov’s legacy. Such goals appear to be contradictions. It will be interesting to see if any reform process takes place in the next few years. Due to Turkmenistan’s vast natural resources, Berdymukhammedov’s government will have numerous courtiers that will provide the state with abundant latitude in its internal affairs.
